Operating element for engaging and extraction of planar sub-assemblies

ABSTRACT

An operating element for engaging and extraction of a planar sub-assembly with an end-piece prepared for connection to the planar sub-assembly. An operating lever rotatably mounted on the end-piece has at least one grip section and a locking element which may be displaced, in particular shifted between at least two switch positions, whereby in a first switch position, the operating lever is held in a state with the planar sub-assembly in an engaged position and in a second switch position, the operating lever is released for extraction. The operating lever has at least one combined display/switching element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an actuating element for levering a PC boardin and out, and to a front system for a PC board, having at least oneactuating element, an associated PC board, as well as a board supportfor receiving the PC boards with a front system in a manner for leveringin and out.

2. Description of Related Art

An actuating element with an end piece for levering a PC board in andout is known from German Utility Patent Application 299 22 725.1(Siemens), which can be connected with a PC board and has an actuatinglever which is rotatably seated on the end piece.

Such known PC boards customarily have electrical indicator elementswhich display, for example, the operational state of an operatingelement of the front board and in this case are customarily separatelyintegrated into the front plate of the front board. A separateinstallation space is thus required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of this invention is to provide an actuating element forlevering a PC board in and out, which has an indicator and operatingelement which is attached in a space-saving manner. It is also intendedto provide an associated front system for such a PC board, a PC boardwith such a front system, as well as a board support for receiving suchPC boards in a manner in which they can be levered in and out.

In connection with the actuating element, this object is attained withthe features of the claim preamble. Advantageous embodiments of theactuating element are described in other claims and in thisspecification. Regarding the front system, the object is achieved bycharacteristics related to the PC board and the board support.

The actuating element in accordance with this invention has at least onecombined electrical indicator/operating element. The indicator/operatingelement of this invention is attached in a structurally space-savingmanner in the actuating lever as a combined element. Customarily aseparate indicator element is provided, for example in the front plateof the PC board, and the operating element is integrated in theactuating element separately from the indicator element. As taught byprior art, it is necessary to separately mount the indicator and theoperating element. In accordance with this invention, it is possible toattach the combined indicator/operating element to the actuating leverin an easy to assemble and structurally space-saving manner.

The indicator/operating element has an indicator sub-element, inparticular an LED component, as well as an operating sub-element. Theindicator sub-element and the operating sub-element can be connectedwith each other in various ways and can be, for example, attached toeach other in a module-like manner. Thus it is possible to exchange orreplace individual indicator sub-elements and operating sub-elements.

The combined indicator/operating element is advantageously partially orwholly integrated into the locking element of the actuating lever, sothat there is a reduced distance from current supply contacts of the PCboard.

In accordance with a further embodiment of this invention, the combinedindicator/operating element is adjustably arranged in the lockingelement, for example it is displaceably attached to the locking element.In this way the combined indicator/operating element of this inventioncan be displaced together with the locking element into two operatingpositions A and B.

If the operating sub-element of the combined indicator/operating elementhas an operating lever, it is actuated, in particular while displacingthe locking element, in one operating position, and is relieved in theother operating position. While levering the actuating lever out, the PCboard can initially be switched into a passive state by displacing thelocking element, for example in a rear operating position B. Thereafter,because of the simultaneous unlocking of the actuating lever in thisoperating position of the locking element, turning of the actuatinglever is possible for levering out the PC board at the end.

In the actuated state, the operating lever of the operating sub-elementadvantageously rests against a stop, in particular a fixed one, of theactuating lever. A swivel pin of the actuating lever seated in a borecan be used as such a stop. This swivel pin is positionally stable withrespect to the displaceable locking element, so that an operatingsub-element of the combined indicator/operating element, which isdisplaced along with the locking element, is at different distances fromthe stationary swivel pin. Thus an operating lever on the operatingsub-element can be actuated in a position of the locking element closeto the swivel pin and can be relieved in a remote position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is explained in greater detail in view of exemplaryembodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective lateral view of one embodiment of an actuatingelement in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a lateral plan view on a front system for a PC board with anactuating element in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a schematic embodiment of an actuatingelement of this invention with the operating element actuated; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a schematic embodiment of an actuatingelement of the invention in accordance with FIG. 3, with the operatingelement relieved.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows an actuating element in accordance with the prior art forlevering in and out a PC board 2, which has an end piece 1 forconnection with a PC board 2 and a front plate 3, also shown in FIG. 2.

In this case the actuating element rests on a lower transverse rail 10of a board support and has as its main components an actuating lever 4,an end piece 1 and a front plate 3 which, for reasons of clarity, is notshown in FIG. 1. The end piece 1 has a central supporting functionbecause, for one example, it is used as a support for an actuating lever4, which is rotatably seated in a bore 14. On the other hand, it canalso be used for supporting the lower end of the front plate 3, whichfor this purpose is advantageously inserted into a groove 22.

The connection between the lower end piece 1 and the front lower cornerof the PC board 2, as shown in FIG. 2, preferably occurs via a retainingblock 17 by a screw engaging a bore 34.

Also, it is possible to attach still further components to such an endpiece 1. Thus, the end piece 1 shown in FIG. 1 contains a coding block13, into which coding chambers 27 for inserting coding pins, not shown,are cut. These can engage coding chambers attached on the side oppositeto the lower transverse rail 10, which are equipped with complementarilycoded coding pins. It is thus possible to assure that only a definedselected PC board 2 can be positioned in a plug-in position of a boardsupport. Finally, there is also a guide pin 15 provided which, afterengagement in an oppositely located guide bore, not shown in thedrawings, assures a skew-free correct insertion of the PC board 2.

The actuating lever 4 is used for levering the PC board into or out ofthe respective plug-in position, which can be operated by actuating thehandle portion 5 when placing the locking element 6 into the operatingposition (B).

When levering out, the actuating lever 4 must be pushed down, so that atleast one levering protrusion 9, projecting at an underside, can besupported on a front edge 12 of the lower transverse rail 10. In theopposite manner, when levering in, the actuating lever 4 must be pushedup, so that a levering protrusion 8, also projecting at the underside,can be supported in the interior of at least one engagement depression11, which is also located in the area of the front edge 12 of the lowertransverse rail 10.

Customarily means are also provided on the end piece 1, through whichthe actuating lever 4 can be fixed in place in the appropriate positionwhen the completely inserted state of the PC board into the boardsupport has been reached. This inserted state is shown in FIG. 1. Forthis purpose, the actuating lever 4 advantageously has a detentprotrusion 24 on its top, which is oriented toward the end piece 1, isresilient and extends upward, and extends behind a detent edge 23 on theend piece 1, which is oriented in the direction toward the actuatinglever 4 and extends downward.

In the same way a corresponding arrangement of an upper end piece 3 withan upper actuating lever 4 rotatably attached to it is attached in thecorner area of the PC board 2 represented in FIG. 2. For levering in andout, the lever then engages a corresponding transverse rail of a PCboard, not shown in the drawings.

An operating element 25 is integrated into the lower or the upper endpiece of the actuating element in accordance with the prior art shown inFIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which is actuated by means of the actuating lever 4when it is in the fixed position, operating position A. Thus it ispossible to electrically isolate the PC board 2 attached to theactuating lever 4, for example by activating its current supply.Inversely, it is also possible to switch the PC board 2 into anelectrically passive state because, at the moment of levering out the PCboard 2, the engagement of the actuating lever 4 with the operatingelement 25 integrated into the end piece 1 is terminated, and theelectrical current supply of the PC board 2 is again placed in thepassive state by release of the operating element 25.

The operating element 25 is seated in a receiving slot 28, which extendsas far as the detent edge 23 of the end piece 1. Thus, an operatingportion of the operating element 25, for example an operating lever 29,projects into the area below the downward pointing detent edge 23. Whenthe fixed state of the actuating lever 4, operating position A, isreached, the operating lever 29 is actuated by the operating slide 26 ofthe locking element 6 of the actuating lever 4 when the actuating lever4 is in the position A. The locking element 6 is connected with theoperating slide 26 via a connecting element 30.

When the actuating lever 4 is displaced into the position B, as shown inFIG. 2, the operating lever 29 is relieved and the operating element 25is switched into a second operating state, wherein the PC board 2 isplaced in a passive state.

Then the actuating lever 4 can be levered out in that its handle portion5 is moved downward, in the direction toward the transverse rail 10,because of which the detent protrusion 24 of the actuating lever 4 iselastically released from the detent edge 23 of the end piece 1. Theoperating element 25 can be activated or passivated by the displacementof the locking element 6 between the positions A and B in FIG. 2, andthis independently of a complete release of the actuating element 4 bythe described downward levering out of the actuating lever 4, forremoving the PC board 2 from the board support.

Further details for constructing the actuating element of the prior artin accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, and in particular the functioning ofthe locking element 6, are taught by the German Utility ModelApplication 299 22 725.1 (Siemens), the disclosure of which isexplicitly incorporated into this specification.

The integrated operating element 25 can be advantageously electricallyconnected with the PC board 2 via a cable connection or plug-in cableconnection, which can be connected to its connecting contacts 16.

Thus it is possible to actuate the operating element 25 in an alwaysassured and wear-free manner by means of the actuating element if theoperating means of the operating element 25 have a very short operatingpath.

Since the active-passive operating function is completely integratedinto the actuating element, users of the front system have norestrictions regarding the positioning of components on a PC boardequipped with a front system of this type. In particular, nodimensionally accurate position fastenings regarding electricalconnections for the operating element are required.

To the extent that the structure of the actuating element in accordancewith FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to the structure of the actuating elementin accordance with the prior art in FIGS. 1 and 2, identical referencesymbols are used which, without supplemental explanations, also have thefunctions represented in the description of the drawings of FIG. 1 andFIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional representation of an actuating element inaccordance with this invention, without the transverse rail 10, the PCboard 2, the front plate 3 in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, having acombined indicator/operating element 7 received in the locking element6, and with an operating sub-element 19 and an indicator sub-element 20.The indicator/operating element 7 is received in a cutout 18 of thelocking element 6. Thus the indicator sub-element 20 is attacheddirectly to the operating sub-element 19 and is advantageouslyelectrically connected with the indicator sub-element 20 by means ofcontacts in the interior.

In FIG. 3, the locking element 6 is in the operating position A, so thatthe indicator sub-element 20 of the combined indicator/operating element7 rests against the edge 23 of the end piece 1. Here, the edge 23 of theend piece 1 can be used as a stop for the indicator sub-element 20, andtherefore for the locking element 6.

In the operating position A of the locking element 6 shown in FIG. 3,the operating lever 29 of the operating sub-element 19 is actuated andrests against the swivel pin 31 of the actuating lever 4 received in abore 14.

If the locking element 6 is brought into the operating position B, asshown in FIG. 4, the resilient or elastic operating lever 29 of theoperating sub-element 19 is relieved and no longer rests against theswivel pin 31. With this arrangement, the operating sub-element 19 haschanged its operating state and has, for example, switched the PC board,not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, passive. Thereafter the actuating element 4can be levered out in the direction of rotation 32, because of which thedetent projection 24 is pushed off downward and is released fromengagement with the edge 23 of the end piece 1.

It is possible in accordance with this invention that, prior to leveringout the actuating lever 4 in the direction of rotation 32, a defined andprecise switch to the passive state of the PC board 2 occurs bydisplacement of the locking element 6 into the operating position B, andtherefore by changing over the operating sub-element 19 of the combinedindicator/operating element 7.

The indicator sub-element 20 and/or the operating sub-element 19 of thecombined indicator/operating element 7 have movable connecting contacts,known per se, for example as contact rails, for a connection withconnecting contacts stationarily arranged in the end piece 1 for thecurrent supply with the PC board, not shown in the drawings.

The indicator sub-element 20 of the combined indicator/operating element7 is in particular embodied as an LED component and can be used forindicating operational states of the operating lever 29 of the operatingsub-element 19.

Essentially, the surface 21 of the indicator sub-element 20 ends flushwith the surface 30 of the locking element 6. Thus the combinedindicator/operating element 7 is received in a recessed manner in thelocking element 6.

For fastening the combined indicator/operating element 7, the operatingsub-element 19 can be connected with a contact area 33 of the lockingelement 6. During a displacement of the locking element 6 from theoperating position A to B and back, it is possible to transmit themovement of the locking element 6 to the combined indicator/operatingelement 7 via the contact area 33.

German Patent Reference 200 14 196.1, the priority documentcorresponding to this invention, and its teachings are incorporated, byreference, into this specification.

1. An actuating element for levering a PC board (2) in and out,comprising: an end piece (1) connectible with the PC board (2), anactuating lever (4) rotatably seated on the end piece (1) and comprisinga handle portion (5) and a locking element (6) which is displaceablebetween at least two operating positions (A, B) and which in a firstoperating position (A) of the two operating positions (A, B) maintainsthe actuating lever (4) in a first position which corresponds to alevered-in state of the PC board (2), and which releases the actuatinglever (4) in a second operating position (B) of the two operatingpositions (A, B), and the actuating lever (4) having at least onecombined indicator/operating element (7) comprising an operatingsub-element (19) and an indicator sub-element (20), wherein theindicator sub-element (20) is mounted on the indicator/operating element(7) and is electrically connected with the operating sub-element (19).2. The actuating element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the atleast one combined indicator/operating element (7) is attached to thelocking element (6).
 3. The actuating element in accordance with claim2, wherein the at least one combined indicator/operating element (7) ispartially integrated into the locking element (6).
 4. The actuatingelement in accordance with claim 2, wherein the at least one combinedindicator/operating element (7) is integrated into the locking element(6).
 5. The actuating element in accordance with claim 4, wherein the atleast one combined indicator/operating element (7) is placed in a cutout(18) of the locking element (6).
 6. The actuating element in accordancewith claim 5, wherein the at least one combined indicator/operatingelement (7) and the locking element (6) are switchable between twooperating positions (A, B).
 7. The actuating element in accordance withclaim 6, wherein the operating sub-element (19) comprises an operatinglever (29).
 8. The actuating element in accordance with claim 7, whereinthe operating lever (29) of the operating sub-element (19) is actuatedwhen the locking element (6) is in the first operating position (A), andis released when the locking element (6) is in the second operatingposition (B).
 9. The actuating element in accordance with claim 8,wherein the indicator sub-element (20) has a surface (21) whichterminates flush with a surface (30) of the locking element (6).
 10. Theactuating element in accordance with claim 9, wherein in an actuatedstate the operating lever (29) of the operating sub-element (19) restsagainst a detent of the actuating lever (4).
 11. The actuating elementin accordance with claim 10, wherein the detent is in a stationaryposition with respect to the displaceable locking element (6).
 12. Theactuating element in accordance with claim 11, wherein the detent isformed by a swivel pin (31) received in a bore (14) of the actuatinglever (4).
 13. The actuating element according to claim 12, having afront system for a PC board (2), with a front plate (3) and theactuating element attached to one end of the front plate (3).
 14. Theactuating element according to claim 13, wherein the PC board (2) hasthe front system.
 15. The actuating element according to claim 13,wherein a board support having the PC board (2) with the front systemthat can be levered in and out.
 16. The actuating element in accordancewith claim 10, wherein the detent is formed by a swivel pin (31)received in a bore (14) of the actuating lever (4).
 17. The actuatingelement in accordance with claim 7, wherein in an actuated state theoperating lever (29) of the operating sub-element (19) rests against adetent of the actuating lever (4).
 18. The actuating element inaccordance with claim 17, wherein the detent is in a stationary positionwith respect to the displaceable locking element (6).
 19. The actuatingelement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one combinedindicator/operating element (7) is placed in a cutout (18) of thelocking element (6).
 20. The actuating element in accordance with claim1, wherein the at least one combined indicator/operating element (7) andthe locking element (6) are switchable between two operating positions(A, B).
 21. The actuating element in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe operating sub-element (19) comprises an operating lever (29). 22.The actuating element in accordance with claim 21, wherein the operatinglever (29) of the operating sub-element (19) is actuated when thelocking element (6) is in the first operating position (A), and isreleased when the locking element (6) is in the second operatingposition (B).
 23. The actuating element in accordance with claim 1,wherein the indicator sub-element (20) has a surface (21) whichterminates flush with a surface (30) of the locking element (6).
 24. Theactuating element according to claim 1, having a front system for a PCboard (2), with a front plate (3) and the actuating element attached toone end of the front plate (3).
 25. The actuating element according toclaim 1, wherein the indicator sub-element (20) comprises an LEDcomponent.